A New World
by risen truth ruthless lies
Summary: Ratatosk tried to rewind time, to change Aster's death and to stop his past self. But it cost him more then he thought, even drawing on the half-elf Richter's Mana to change time. He could only go back so far, resulting in Richter being freed from the seal, and a female Emil, Emilia. Temporarily on hold


Disclaimer: Don't own

_Chapter One_

_One thousand years_

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His vision was groggy, and his entire body ached as if he had been hit full force with Ratatosk's **_Ain Soph Aur_** arte. Though likely, it wasn't possible Ratatosk was rewriting the Mana for the world. Had it been a thousand years then? There was no way; it was as if he had merely blinked!

"Time passes quickly in this realm, I thought you knew that? But, then again, I have changed little." A smooth baritone voice greeted him, a hand clasped over his shoulder lifting him up.

"_Ratatosk?"_ Even his voice sounded like nothing but a gasp of air being taken into his lungs.

"Shut up, the world has changed Richter. Though you are an intelligent half-elf so I suppose you knew that already." Ratatosk's voice was different, more resigned and….even mourning.

"_I….I see_." Richter couldn't help but feel, feel hurt. Everyone he had once known….they were dead. All erased by time itself. Even…even Emil.

"I know that it hurts…" Ratatosk sounded weary.

"But…I can sympathize with you. When Emil died, it was painful. He returned to my conscious, and his last moments were forever engraved into my mind. Did you know Marta had died before him? Apparently the fake core, had given her a disease that only the future could heal. Emil no longer exists either, his memories became my own and his own conscious was eroded away." Richter opened his eyes, to see that Ratatosk had kept Aster's, Emil's, human form.

Red eyes were gleaming brightly, and not for the first time in a thousand years. _**Ratatosk** the summon spirit of the ancient Kharlan tree_, cried; he cried for a human, he cried for Marta who would forever look for Emil in the heavens. He cried for his deceased friends that Emil had made. He cried for everyone, even Richter, whose own dark emerald eyes were glazed over.

"I know…that it will hurt for as long as you shall live. Which is why, Tenebrae and Aqua are allowed to travel with you, should they wish it." Richter's eyes widened, Tenebrae, the centurion who had once traveled with Emil? Aqua who had hurt herself for his selfish dream?

_"I…I am honored that you would allow it."_ Richter managed to choke out through his raspy voice, it sounded as if he had been strangled. Two cores one dark and shrouded the other bubble like and blue was called from Ratatosk's hands.

Tenebrae, who was silent, watched his dark red eyes were, sad. Very sad, Richter knew why. Centurions could live, for as long as Mana existed. This meant an eternity at the very least, for they cannot die.

Aqua was there, though her eyes were dull, once vibrant blue eyes were now void and cold. Richter knew then, that Aqua had too befriended Emil.

"I will leave you to Luin, the only place seemingly untouched by time that I have altered. I will not stay here; you will see soon enough the reason why." Ratatosk whispered, darkness crept in and in a shroud was gone. Richter opened his eyes and was met with a great lake, sparkling blue and as clean as the air he now breathed. Or rather that was how it should've been, the lake was as dry as a bone.

Tenebrae smiled and howled, Aqua scoffed.

"Can't stay away from her huh _Tenebonehead."_ Richter raised a brow, who had Tenebrae befriended? A blond mop of hair ran from the bridge and Richter felt his breath catch. Vibrant green eyes sparkled as the girl latched onto Tenebrae.

"You…_Emil?"_ The girl blushed just like him, and her eyes were wide in shock.

"N-no, sir. I'm E-Emilia w-who are you?" By the goddess she even had his stutter, Richter couldn't for the life of him remember how to breath. What was she a descendent or had Emil somehow been reincarnated? Or had Ratatosk done something? He had said untouched by time he had altered….

"Richter, Richter Abends." The girl looked at him long and hard, just like Emil used to, even her height was the same. Had Emil truly been reincarnated? The thought made him want to shout and crush the girl to his chest and cry. He had lost so much, and yet no matter how much he wanted it, he knew it would be too good to be true. Ratatosk had given him a warning, but of what?

A peach toned hand rested on his face and he froze, looking down at the girl who looked as if she were upset, her green eyes virbant and bright.

"P-please, don't cry mister, Tenebrae, what's wrong with him?" She, she even held the same tone. Richter wanted nothing more than to die, it was like the Aster and Emil event all over again. Would he forever be forced to lose his friends?

"Lady Emilia, this is Richter. _The_ Richter that I told you about." The girl gasped and her arm snapped away as if she had been burned. Richter felt the undeniable sting of hurt at her action, she thought him a monster too didn't she?

He waited for her fear, waited to hear her scream. Instead warm skin was wrapped around him. The girl, was hugging him, hugging him and crying. What?

"I'm sorry." Clearly, and then Emilia grasped his upper arm.

"I…You….You should stay with me!" She blurted out all at once, just like he had done protecting Marta all those years ago.

"I…I mean….you should….after all…you're suffering a-and…" She trailed off not knowing what to say.

"Courage is the magic that turns dreams into reality." Just like before, how ironic that those very words would escape his notice once again.

"W-what?"

"They're words that a human with a few screws loose said long ago." Emilia frowned and stared up at him, those vibrant green eyes piercing into him sharply.

"S-So? It's true isn't it? Without courage, w-where will you find h-hope? W-without hope, how will you expect to live your life?" Richter was dumbfounded, Aqua was laughing while Tenebrae vanished into the shadows.

Not even given a chance to answer Emilia grabbed his hand, unaware of the dark hue rising in his face as she pulled him to her house. Emil's house, did she live alone?

"We…can…." Her voice had gone quiet and soft, fearful as the door crashed open. A man the spitting image of Emil's uncle walked over to Emilia.

"U-Uncle Alba!" Emilia shouted as he clenched his fists.

"You demonic little brat, can't you stay put for once!?" Richter was angry, once again, once again his friend was being tortured, abused. Not to mention, that no one was lifting a finger to help her. They just watched, some of the children even dared to point and laugh.

Emilia's hand was tight and sweaty against his own palm, he could feel it through his leather gloves. Her eyes were wide and fearful, just like Emil's had been before.

"I…I'm sorry." Was all she said, Richter resisted the urge to just leave the man who was her uncle, bloodied on the ground with his own hands. But he resisted, because that would cause only trouble for the other half-elves who were slowly being accepted.

"Just go to your room, so help me when I return home…" Alba trailed off letting the threat hang in the air. Emilia nodded quickly her hand slipping out of his own, quickly.

Richter panicked, grasping her hand even tighter not letting her slip away. He wouldn't let her slip through his fingers anymore, not after what he had tried to do before. To atone for Aster, to seal himself into the door. This girl although not Emil, was too much like him for her and Emil not to have some sort of connection.

"I was lost, your daughter offered to show me around." Richter cut in bluntly, ironic that his tone was the same as before when he first met this man.

"What? No, Emilia herself only arrived six months ago. How could she know where everything is? I'm sorry for the trouble sir, Emilia apologize for taking up this man's time." Alba seemed to become quiet at the end, his eyes silent and sparking an old fear in Richter.

"I…I'm sorry..." Emilia's head was bent her chin tucked into where if what Richter had assumed was true, her scarf would be soon enough.

"I know, grab your things and meet me outside." Richter told the girl softly offering a gentle smile, Alba's eyes widened.

"Hey! W-what do you think you're doing?!" he shouted, Richter narrowed his eyes behind his glasses. He felt his old wound beginning to become sore, but he moved anyway, dropping Emilia's hand in the process.

"I'm taking her with me, is there a problem with that?" He said looking down on the man; he seemed to shrink into himself just like before.

"She, I'm her uncle." Richter looked down at the man impassively though he felt his blood boiling, this man was an annoyance.

_"Didn't you just call her a demonic little brat?"_ Richter watched Alba's eyes widened, as if no one had ever called out on him for being cruel to Emilia.

"B-but…" Emilia ran down the stairs, strange, Richter hadn't even noticed she had left. A bag was slung over her shoulders, her lips beginning to twitch, indicating that she was happy, or at the very least wanted to smile.

"Where do you think you're going?" Alba stated in a burst of audacity, Richter felt a tick beginning to build in his jaw. How dense was this man?

"I…I'm…"

"No you're **_not_**! Come on Emilia, we're _leaving_." Alba stated, Richter saw the signs of defeat in her eyes and moved to do something, before Tenebrae howled again. Emilia's eyes widened, her gaze being turned softly to the once full lake, had it really been so low?

Emilia looked at Alba's grip on her arm, before pulling her arm down and away from him.

"I'm….I'm going with him." Emilia whispered, that one act of defiance changed everything, that one act of defiance made Richter see something Emil had hidden from him and Emil himself. That single act, changed Emilia.

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Author's Note: For anyone confused, Ratatosk DID change time, he threw Richter into the past, but didn't tell him, so they could change the future for the better. But Ratatosk made an error, he couldn'e go back far enough to save Aster and had used too much energy the result, being Emilia instead of Emil. Aqua and Tenebrae will return to thier old personalities soon enough I promise, I just need to get the story moving. Thanks to those who bothered to red this!


End file.
